Many teenagers and adults suffer from social anxiety. This is a condition that can make them feel nervous and physically ill when they have to interact with others, particularly if they will be the center of attention (such as when they must give a speech) or when they think others will be looking at them…

Historically, people would not received a diagnosis for personality disorders until they were at least in their 20’s. The nature of the illness indicates a long-term unhealthy pattern of thought and behavior and a person needs to have a history of life challenges that might indicate a personality disorder exists. However, there is an ongoing debate…

Parenting teens can be stressful. Because your teen is going through hormonal changes and dealing with the rigors of approaching adulthood, it’s common to deal with moodiness, irrational behaviors, misplaced anger, and frustrating behaviors. If your adolescent has borderline personality disorder, however, it’s more than simply stressful and frustrating. Borderline personality disorder, or BPD, is a…

Bipolar disorder (bi meaning two) is characterized by the swing of moods between mania and depression. In fact, a teen’s levels of dopamine, serotonin, and norepinephine are often so chaotic, it is difficult for them to remain emotionally stable throughout the day. For instance, an adolescent might wake up in the morning with such a…

If you are a parent, caregiver, teacher, or friend of a teen who questions their identity, sexual preference, or gender, it might be hard for you. Most people want others to follow along with everyone else. Being different can mean problems, and you likely want the best for your teen. You might fear that your…

Consistency is Paramount When Your Child is an Infant as well as a Teen When your child is still a little one, it’s important to be responsive and show consistent care during their infancy. When they cry, you feed them. When they cry again, you change their diaper. And so on. The more…

The concept of having the world at your fingertips is now. The internet is pretty much a way of life now, so much so that it has begun to start affecting everyday life mentally. More and more, the youth of today are spending endless amounts of time consumed by the internet. Those of who spend excessive…

Psychosis is a symptom of mind that can show up in adolescence, but for most teens it won’t. Yet, for those teens who do experience hallucinations and/or delusions, psychosis can be a scary experience. Psychosis is a symptom, much like feeling down is a symptom of depression. Psychosis is essentially the experience of the mind…

Because schizophrenia is an illness that most teens and adults do not understand, erroneous beliefs and myths about the illness can easily spread throughout the general public. It should be noted that it’s rare for teens to experience schizophrenia. However, if adolescents are prone to this illness or another psychotic disorder, late adolescence is when…

As an adolescent, you’re still developing your unique sense of self. At the same time, you might see the world in unique and distinctive ways. You might have developed ideas, beliefs, and thoughts about how the world, or perhaps your community, could be improved or made a bit better. Yet, one of the biggest…

It’s common to associate Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) with females. And if BPD shows up in adolescence, it’s even more likely to assume that the teen is female. Yet, one clinician and author recently wrote a book highlighting men who have BPD as well as pointing out the severe neglect of this topic. Joseph…